Mathematical Modeling in Secondary Schools
The materials collected here include lesson plans for mathematical modeling activities suitable for middle and high school students, and supporting materials on the teaching of mathematical modeling.
Stepping Stones to Mathematical Modeling
Lesson plans
The Stepping Stones to Mathematical Modeling section includes lesson plans prepared by teachers at National Science Foundation funded institutes held during the summers of 1993, 1994, and 1995. In addition, there is a description on the modeling process The Mathematical Modeling Cycle which is helpful in providing perspective.
MSP Modeling Workshop
MSP lesson plans
Expanded lesson plans
The MSP Modeling Workshop section includes lesson plans prepared by teachers participating in workshops held in connection with a NSF funded Math Science Partnership (MSP) grant. These workshops were held during the summers of 2003 and 2004, and the summer of 2005 and the 2005-06 academic year. This section also contains a collection of ten expanded lesson plans, each of which includes articulation of the mathematical content with Indiana State Academic Standards, hints for the teacher, a sample solution, and an evaluation rubric. The section also contains an introductory discussion of the relation of mathematical modeling to other mathematical learning activities and the teaching of mathematical modeling.
- Water in the Bottle
- Sunshine Day Playground
- Pepsi Bottle Cap Lottery
- Bartholomew County Landfill
- Lego Slopes
- Medical Probability
- T-shirt Problem
- Tying Knots
- Transition Matrices
- Raft Problem
- Wedding Problem
- Museum Problem
- Tornado Sirens Problem
- Exploring Onderous Numbers
- Amusement Park Problem
- HIV Problem
- Oil Pipeline
- Oil pipeline
- Oil pipeline (pdf version)
- Coachman Industries Problem
- Conrail Problem
- Three Grade 7 Lessons
- Can Design
- Elves and Linear Equations
- School Districts
- Pasture Design
- String Project
- Tag and Release using Ratios
- Vandals Problem
- Bobo
- Delivery Routes
- Draft Lottery
- Museum Problem
- Tag and Recapture
- Bungee Barbie
- Drippity Do Da
- Guarding the Museum
- Bank Robbers
- Bigfoot Activity
- Description (pdf)
- Escaping a Hurricane
- The Hiring Problem
- Description (pdf)
- Million Dollar Getaway
- Quilting Problem
- Stunt Person and Tollbooth Problem
- Tiny Toys MEA
- Toy Train MEA
- Description (pdf)
- Volleyball Problem
- Volleyball problem (pdf)
MSP Modeling Workshop Lesson Plans
Comments on the Role and Characteristics of Mathematical Modeling Activities
Unless otherwise indicated, the files are in Word format.